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Yōichi Hiruma
Yoichi Hiruma (蛭魔 妖一) is one of the main characters in the series. He is one of the three founding members of the Deimon Devil Bats along with Kurita and Musashi. He is a high school student of Deimon Private Senior High School, holding the position of quarterback and official tactician for Deimon Devil Bats. Conception and development Inagaki said that he developed Hiruma as a character that does not follow the Japanese concept of emphasis on sportsmanship and effort in the game; instead Hiruma is "only concerned with winning." Inagaki intended to make an "anti-hero" or, as he refers to the concept, a "devil-hero." Yusuke Murata, the artist, said that every character design has to have a distinct quality as many characters are in groups and each one has to stand out; Murata chose to portray Hiruma as looking "close to being a demon" since he heard from Inagaki that Hiruma had "the personality of a demon." Personality Hiruma usually acts in a vulgar, bizarre, threatening manner so as to intimidate or disturb those around him into getting what he wants. He has a cunning, goal-oriented mind and does not seem to care what means he uses to accomplish those goals. His sense of morals is lax at best, but he is quick to find the moral flaws of others, which he keeps recorded in his "Book of Threats" or "Devil's Handbook", and uses this information to blackmail everyone from students to figures of authority into placing him in a position of power. He has little respect for authority and has in fact usurped authority over Deimon High School well before the series begins and has the authority of a vice principal, using his power in the school to give himself beyond-perfect scores in all his classes and divert funds to the American football club as he desires. Besides blackmail, Hiruma can often intimidate others into taking the action he wants by waving around his vast arsenal of firearms. Even without having to take direct action, Hiruma's mere reputation is enough in some instances to make the majority of the student body fear him and bow to his authority. Despite his penchant for blackmail and breaking seemingly every school rule without consequence, Hiruma adheres to the rules of American football without exception while playing. Inagaki says that Hiruma "does everything else to win" and is "only concerned with winning." Instead, Hiruma attempts to throw opposing teams offguard through taunts and insults. Even when Hiruma expresses excitement or happiness, he does so in a violent manner, by firing his large guns into the air or kicking a teammate in the rear when they have executed well on a play. He addresses all members of the Deimon Devil Bats with a vulgar manner, beginning with "Fucking" and ending with a descriptive noun, such as "Shorty" for Sena or "Monkey" for Monta. Some characters, such as Kid, have observed that Hiruma's attitude and even aspects of his demonic appearance are an act to intimidate his opponents both on and off the field. Over time, the series has alluded to Hiruma's 'true' personality, which Sena and Mamori Anezaki have at times been shown to understand to some degree, as when one or the other correctly observes Hiruma to be worried, happy, or tired. In addition to these instances, Hiruma has shown compassion to others, though he continues to hide it with his demonic behavior - allowing Takami some privacy after a loss is one such instance. In addition, some of Hiruma's actions imply that he cares for the other members of the team more than he lets on. In the case of his two oldest teammates, Hiruma abandoned Shinryuuji High to join Kurita at Deimon High when Kurita failed to gain entrance into the school, and he forbid Musashi's kicking tee from being touched after Musashi had to leave the team, making it an almost sacred object in the Devil Bats' locker room. As the series progresses, Hiruma's feelings for his teammates become more apparent, especially the faith he places in Sena and Monta. Story and Hiruma]] Backstory Seven years prior to the start of the series, Yoichi Hiruma, then ten years old, snuck into an American military base, where he witnessed a group of soldiers playing American football. Intrigued by the game, he soon caught on to its rules and later began studying its tactics. Hiruma became a regular spectator of the soldiers' games by sneaking through a hole in the wire fence surrounding the base. With his deep understanding of the game, he managed to successfully gamble on the winning teams, accumulating a large amount of money by the time he entered Mao Junior High, during which he dyed his hair to its current blonde color. Soon after Hiruma entered junior high, Ryoukan Kurita accidentally came across a series of scribbled plays that he had drawn up, and encouraged Hiruma to actively participate in the game. Although Hiruma at first had no interest in playing the game himself, he participated in one of the soldiers' games along with Kurita to replace two players who collapsed from heatstroke. While Hiruma and Kurita's team lost, along with a small amount of Hiruma's winnings which he had gambled on the team, Hiruma became interested in starting his own American football team, with the ultimate goal of reaching the Christmas Bowl. In order to establish an American football club, Hiruma created an expansive information network to acquire blackmail on virtually everyone in the Tokyo area, which allowed him to threaten the vice principal of Mao into allowing the creation of the club. During this time, Hiruma briefly acquired muscle in the form of Agon Kongo, set up a surveillance system with a large supply of hacked cellphone cameras, and recorded the information he acquired in a 'threat notebook' which remains on his person to the present day. After the reestablishment of the American football club with Doburoku Sakaki as club adviser, Gen "Musashi" Takekura decided to join the club because he thought Hiruma and Kurita were "fun," perhaps due to their unusual and persistent methods of attempting to persuade him to join. Together, the three new friends made a pact to reach the Christmas Bowl. Kurita looked up to the Shinryuuji Naga, a team that had won every single Kanto Fall Tournament since its creation, so the three decided to join the team. Because Kurita could not hope to pass the Shinryuuji High entrance exam, Hiruma signed him up for the school's sports merit program, which would have permitted him to join the team. However, Agon applied for the program as well, because he believed the three to be "failures," and so Kurita was not permitted into Shinryuuji. Rather than leaving their friend behind, Hiruma and Musashi applied for Deimon High School, and together with Kurita established another new American football team, the Deimon Devil-Bats, with Hiruma as the quarterback, Kurita a lineman, and Musashi the kicker. Despite their lack of any other members, Hiruma remained enthusiastic about reaching the Christmas Bowl, simply recruiting members of other sports clubs to fill up the roster. Despite this measure, Deimon failed to win a single game, even losing 99-0 against the Oujou White Knights. Additionally, Musashi's father fell ill, requiring Musashi to take a greater role in his family's carpentry business and leave the team for an extended period of time. Eyeshield 21 At the beginning of the series, Hiruma and Kurita, now in their second year of high school, aggressively attempt to recruit new members to the Deimon Devil Bats from the newer students. At first their only successful recruit is the reluctant Sena Kobayakawa, as Hiruma witnesses his incredible running speed and agility and forces him to be the team's running back. Hiruma additionally hides Sena's identity by making him wear an eyeshield and adapt the moniker 'Eyeshield 21'. Hiruma enters the Devil Bats into the Spring Tournament, where the team is eliminated early by the Oujou White Knights in a one-sided match, though Sena's potential as an ace runner appears briefly. Following their defeat, the Devil Bats search for members and prepare for the grander Autumn Tournament. Hiruma, through intimidation, blackmail, cyber terrorism, and other similar methods, plays a crucial role in the development of the young Devil Bats team. He single-handedly devises the team's recruitment drives and game plans, as well as all of the training routines until Doburoku returns to the team and instructs the team on some occasions. Among Hiruma's many accomplishments in the series include circumventing the selection process to face the Nasa Aliens, using the Aliens' return trip tickets to the United States for the Devil Bats' training in North America, and winning 20,000,000 yen (approximately $200,000) at Las Vegas to pay off Doburoku's debts. Unlike many of the members of the Deimon Devil Bats, Hiruma does not explicitly experience a great improvement in ability over the course of series, instead acting as a reliable "control tower" for the team. Hiruma's insight and strategic mind, especially his knack for devising trick plays, are critical in the Devil Bats' various matches. As the Devil Bats advance into the Kanto Tournament, Hiruma's relation to his teammates visibly changes, as he seems to place more faith in their abilities. Over time, this faith becomes critical in many of Deimon's victories, as several critical plays, such as an unexpected onside kick against Shinryuuji and a silent midplay huddle on the last play against Oujou, are based around the team members' ability to understand and believe in each other. Additionally, contrary to Hiruma's typically tactical mindset, he accomplishes several feats seemingly through sheer willpower, including remain intact mentally to retrieve the ball after fumbling when Shin used the Trident tackle on him and recovering from a broken arm in just a few weeks prior to the Christmas Bowl against the Teikoku Alexanders. Eventually, in his final game against the Alexanders, Hiruma discards his objective outlook, putting faith in his teammates even when victory against Teikoku appears statistically impossible. It is this change in mindset that allows the Devil Bats to score on several consecutive drives against the otherwise perfect Alexanders.In chapter 333 the plot has skipped ahead two years. Hiruma, now in college, is part of (and, as Jumonji put it, 'controlling from the shadows') the college's American football team, Saikyoudai and a few years later he got drafted by Panthers NFL team the San Antonio armadillos and became their starting quarter back. HE went on to have a long hall of fame NFL carrear like teammate panther and fellow japanese players Yamato,Sena,Taka and Shin. He got invited to the NFL combine because he was on the Japanese national team and both teams technically won since the winner was going to be MVP but they only had room for one and to be a good sports the agreed with the world cup to give the Japanese players all chances to be NFL players once they were ready instead of being invited to it, that's how quite a few of them made it into the NFL in the future. Reception When a Weekly Shonen Jump popularity poll of the Eyeshield 21 characters was conducted, Hiruma ranked number 1, unusual in a Jump manga, where the main character usually ranks first. In a following poll for the Dream Eleven, in which a team of eleven was created via a popularity poll of characters and their positions, Hiruma was the only character to receive not only over twice as many votes as the second-place finisher, Kid, but more votes than all the other candidates combined -- Hiruma with 9196 votes, and all the other quarterbacks with a total of 6971 votes!Eyeshield 21 manga; 211th Down, pg. 1-2. The latest ES21 poll, to form All-Freshmen and All-Seniors (and in Deimon's case, All-Sophomores) teams, saw Hiruma come out on top here as well, with a total of 3968 votes.Eyeshield 21 manga; 258th Down, pg. 1-2. Riichiro Inagaki, writer of Eyeshield 21, said that "all the characters" were his favorite characters, and that Hiruma is "especially" his favorite.Shonen Jump. Volume 4, Issue 2. February 2006. VIZ Media. 15. Techniques and Strategies Of the myriad of weapons at Hiruma's disposal, possibly the most devastating of all is his steel-trap mind. An expert strategist with a clever and cunning demeanor, he is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the field. He can also think up to 17 strategies quickly, no matter the scenario, and even if he is under harsh conditions, he manages to stay focused. His game plans often appear insane, and often He is a well-rounded quarterback, possessing a strong throwing arm, mobility, fast reaction time, and the ability to notice details quickly. According to Ichiro Takami and Musashi, Hiruma lacks the body type for American football, but makes up for it with his cunning mind and force of will. *'Devil's Handbook' - Not really part of the arsenal he uses on the field, though one can say that it's his most potent weapon, aside from his cunning mind. At the beginning of the series, he uses it to force students from other clubs to become support players for the football team. This book is not limited to the secrets of students and teachers at Deimon; Hiruma has been known to blackmail city officials, work crews and storekeepers (in one case he even used it to commandeer a JSDF tank). *'Psychological warfare' - Hiruma is a master at manipulating, tricking, and playing with his opponent's mind. By using rumors, bluffs and threats, Hiruma can unnerve the opposing teams, as well as to bolster morale among his own teammates. He even went as far as to use lipstick as a trick to fool the Dokubari Scorpions. The most famous example of this is the network of lies he makes up about Eyeshield 21, Sena's alias. He even use spectators to cheer to the team as distraction, while he is busy creating a play. **'The Gargoyle' - A tactic only possible due to his reputation as an unpredictable, dangerous player, Hiruma takes up his position normally when he is injured beyond the point of being able to play effectively. Against the Dinosaurs, this has the effect of Hiruma not being seen as a weakness on defense, and in fact his position is directly avoided. *'Play action pass (Fake handoff)' - Hiruma is a master of making the football disappear from sight, fooling many different defenders into believing he has handed off the ball, usually to Sena, while he actually sets up for a pass. Prior to the Autumn Tokyo Tournament this was the only physical technique that Hiruma employs in games, but it develops a reputation for even deceiving the cameramen who records the game against the Aliens. **'Wishbone' - A formation in which one full back and two halfbacks line up in a "Y" shape behind Hiruma. Hiruma has the option of handing the ball off to one of the three running backs or keeping it himself, utilizing his talent for fake handoffs. The running backs who don't receive the hand-off are additionally used as lead blockers. Due to Hiruma's ability to make snap decisions, this strategy is extremely adaptable, and the player who runs the ball is not determined until the middle of the play. **'Quarterback draw' - Fundamentally, the opposite of the play action, as rather than pretending to execute a running play to set up a pass, Hiruma pretends to set up for a pass in preparation for a run. In the most prominent example of this, Hiruma has his receivers line up in the 4-wide Shotgun formation and run pass routes, shouting "4x DEVIL LASER BULLET!" He then keeps the ball and runs himself. *'Trick Plays' - The most powerful weapons in the Devil Bats' offensive arsenal are high-risk unorthodox plays that tend to depend on deceiving the opposing defense. **'Clock Play' - Hiruma appears to have the offense line up in preparation for a spike to stop the clock, and Monta pretends to line up late, while actually going in motion. While the defense still expects Hiruma to spike the ball, Kurita snaps the ball to Hiruma, and Monta runs a long pass route, getting a head start because of the defense's confusion. **'Direct Snap' - Hiruma pretends to be preparing to take the ball as quarterback to draw the defense's attention to him, but Kurita snaps the ball to Sena instead. Sena can either run the ball or pass it, in either case the defense tends to be caught off guard. ***'Devil Dragon Fly' - A variation of the Shinryūji Naga's Kongo Brothers' Dragon Fly, using both Sena and Hiruma as quarterbacks. Using Hiruma's ability to use real and fake hand-offs and laterals and Sena's mobility, the two have a number of options to run and pass on each play. **'The Lonely Center' - Hiruma lines up behind Kurita, who is the only offensive lineman. This forces the defense to send only a single defensive lineman against Kurita or else leave the sides of the field unprotected and allow Hiruma to quickly toss the ball to Sena. **'Chris Cross/Evil Cross' - The 'Chris Cross' is a play in which Sena and Monta line up as running backs, and run crossing routes with Hiruma as their point of intersection. Similar to the Wishbone, Hiruma can choose to hand the ball off to either running back, or keep the ball himself. The play relies upon the defense not knowing which of the three keeps the ball, as whoever receives it will keep it hidden from plain sight. However, this deception-based strategy is a decoy for the 'true' form of the cross, called the 'Evil Cross', in which Hiruma hands the ball off to Sena who then pretends to accidentally reveal he carries the ball. This draws the defense in, and Sena then laterals the ball back to Hiruma, who throws a pass. The trick play presents several options for Hiruma, since the defense will likely have moved forward to stop Sena, leaving one or several receivers uncovered. Sena also runs a receiving route after returning the ball to Hiruma. *'Passing' - While Hiruma is more recognized for his strategic mind than athletic ability, his throwing ability is exceptional. His passes are powerful and accurate, and are thus valuable to the Devil Bat's offense. **'Air option' - By adding Yukimitsu as the second wide receiver, Hiruma has three options to pass the ball to: Monta for long passes using his great catching ability, Yukimitsu for mid-length passes using his ability to read defensive formations, or Taki for short passes using his tall build and flexibility. **'Devil Laser Bullet' - Hiruma's signature pass, a powerful throw that puts a tight spiral on the ball. The pass has an unusual trajectory - a straight line, even regarding harsh weather conditions and gravity. Only Monta is capable of catching this pass out of Deimon's players. ***'Hail Devil Pass' - A very fast, long and low-altitude version of the Devil Laser Bullet. Because of its tight trajectory, it does not rely on chance to succeed like the more common Hail Mary pass. **'Shotgun' - The same tactic used by the Seibu Wild Gunmen, Monta, Sena, Taki, and Yukimitsu all line up as wide receivers. The tactic gives Hiruma a wide number of passing options by forcing the opposing defense to spread out and cover the various receivers. **'Hail Mary Pass' - A very long forward pass commonly used near the end of a half or game where there is no possibility for any other play to score points. This play is unlikely to be successful, because of the general inaccuracy of the pass and the defense usually being prepared for it. *'Killer Hornet' - After the Devil Bats receive a kickoff, Hiruma calls various runners into a makeshift huddle. This hides the ball from view and prevents the opposing team from seeing who is carrying it. The players then scatter in various directions, each pretending to carry the ball. This confuses the kicking team momentarily, allowing the true ball carrier to advance more easily. *'Communication' - As the team's 'control tower', it is necessary for Hiruma to be able to properly instruct his teammates on what to do. Under certain circumstances when the Devil Bats have been able to huddle or speak with the sideline, several tactics devised by Hiruma and Mamori are critical to the team's success. **'Quarterback Blitz' - Hiruma instructs a number of players to blitz the quarterback, or blitzes himself. The strategy is bolstered by the team's ability to decide the number of blitzing players with no huddle, using a series of signals sent by Mamori, Yukimitsu, and even Cerberos from the bench. **'Sign Language' - Hiruma communicates with Mamori on the sideline using a system of hand signals. Unlike the codes most sports teams use to communicate, the signs Mamori sends are long and complex, and described as "telling a long story" by Wakana, Ojo's manager. Because of their complexity, however, Hiruma and Mamori can communicate any intended thought necessary from across the field. **'Audible' - A no-huddle strategy employed in situations where the Devil Bats must catch up quickly, wherein Hiruma calls the play as Deimon is lining up. The plays coded with two-digit numbers, and Mamori devises a system to make the code harder to crack. Hiruma calls a three-digit number, preceded by the name of a team the Devil Bats previously faced. Depending on whether Deimon defeated, lost to, or tied with that team, the first, second, or third (respectively) digit is eliminated from that number, leaving the two-digit play number. The strategy also has Mamori using hand signals to communicate the hut count to the team, making the code harder to crack ***'21' - Rather than a play decided upon beforehand, this is an audible call whose meaning can vary from game to game. The Devil Bats execute a play that they have been preparing for the whole game. **'The Gatling' - Hiruma uses four receivers: Tetsuma, Taka, Monta and Sakuraba by splitting them making their own route. He stated that this is the extreme pass formation he planned. In their first try, he failed to use this formation as Mr.Don already pass through to sack Hiruma. On his second try, though the four receivers made it perfect, Hiruma rather than to have a pass, he managed to jump with the ball to get a touchdown. **'Petit Devil Bat Dive' - as Suzuna named, Hiruma will jump with the ball. Quite same as Sena's Devil Bat Dive. **'Golden Dragonfly' - Shinryuji Naga's other formation by using three quarterbacks: Hiruma, Kid and Agon.This technique was used during the youth tournement where Hiruma ,Kid and Agon jump over the american teams defense. It should be noted that MR. Don called this the Cerberus Dive, seeing as all three were diving. Trivia *His Japanese Seiyū is Atsushi Tamura (listed in the anime credits as (Atsushi Tamura of London Boots #1 and #2). *Hiruma is one of the Deimon "Brainy Trio" Members along with Mamori and Yukimitsu. *Hiruma is shown to have extraordinary memory as shown when he completely memorized Mamori's hand signal list in a manner of about five seconds. Sources *Various Eyeshield 21 manga chapters (character guides) and anime episodes. References es:Yōichi Hiruma Category:Deimon Devil Bats Category:Male Characters Category:Quarterbacks Category:Eyeshield 21 characters